Is Shakespeare Teaching a Religious Lesson Through Othello ?
Background: Shakespeare's View on Religion
It is still a highly debated subject as for whether or not Shakespeare was religious, and more so, if he was a Catholic or a Protestant. Much of this is due to the fact that his writing is based and related to some Protestant and some Catholic beliefs.
Shakespeare lived during a time period in which there was a lot of pressure on Catholics to convert to the Protestant Church of England. Recusancy laws made the Roman Catholic Church illegal.
Baptized on April 26, 1564, little is known about Shakespeare's religious views and how he felt about the tension between the sects of Christianity. Having a well hidden private life, Shakespeare's true religious position remains a mystery, past the fact that he was baptized as a child, placing him somewhere within the church. In many Shakespeare plays, and Othello more specifically, there are numerous allegories to biblical figures and quotes, meaning that at the very least Shakespeare had a good knowledge of the Christian faith. On page 73 of Othello, Roderigo states that "The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist", meaning that he'd paid Iago enough money to corrupt a nun. This could be an attack at members of the catholic faith, especially those viewed as higher officials, saying that they were corrupt. He easily could have stated this from either point of view, as a Catholic disgraced by others' decisions to change their ways, or as a Protestant, mocking the flimsy wills of the members of the Catholic church.
Recusancy: statutory offence of not complying with and conforming to the Established Church, State Religion, or Church of England.
Religious References in Othello
In Scene I, Act I, the phrase "I am not what I am" contrasts to when God says to Moses in Exodus 3:14, "I am what I am." In Othello, Iago says this line as a forshadow of displaying what he will do to Othello. This is very intersting being that Iago can be compared to the devil in the play, and it is debated whether Iago actually is the devil. The devil and God are opposites, much like Iago's line in comparison to God's.
Act 2 Scene 3 is the scene in which Iago tricks Cassio to get drunk while on duty and get into a fight with Roderigo. Othello comes storming in, obviously upset by the situation, and is mostly upset with Cassio who was his lieutenant. Iago pretends to defend Cassio by saying, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth than it should do offence to Michael Cassio.” This alludes to the Book of Proverbs from the Bible that states, “the mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.” This is ironic for Iago to say this because he is trying to put up a front about him being such a “righteous” man who “brings forth wisdom” when in reality he is the one with the “perverse tongue”.
In that same scene, Iago “persuades [himself] to speak the truth”. This could be in reference again to the Book of Proverbs which reads, “For my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words from my mouth are righteous; there is nothing crooked or twisted in them.” There is irony in this, as well, because throughout the entire play Iago does not utter one righteous word. In the speech that follows Iago’s defense of Cassio, he “twists” around the truth and ends up fooling everyone.
In Act 4 Scene 2, Othello is professing to Desdemona how upset he is about her infidelity. He says, “had it pleased heaven to try me with affliction; had they rain’d all kinds of sores and shames on my bare head…” These few lines bare many similarities to the Book of Job in the Bible. The first allusion to Job is in the word “affliction” which is used seven times in the Book of Job. Job was one of God’s most devote followers. In the Book of Job, God makes a bargain with the devil that Job would never renounce the name of God no matter what happened to him. In attempts to win the bet, the devil puts Job through all sorts of tragedies, such as killing his family, “smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown “, and essentially destroying his entire life. In the Bible, Job says, “terrors are turned upon me… the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.” Even after everything, Job still knelt down and prayed to God. The part of the story that is parallel to Othello is that Iago did awful things to Othello, just like Satan did to Job.
Act 2 Scene 3 contains the speech that Iago in attempts to convince himself that what he is doing is what is right. He exclaims, “How am I then a villain to counsel Cassio this parallel course, directly to his good? Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as I do now…” In reference to heaven and hell, Iago further shows the audience that even though Iago believes that his actions “suggest with heavenly shows”, this is merely a disguise for the “blackest sins” that he is committing.
Is Iago the Devil?
Iago is a very evil person, one of the most evil that shakesphere has written so far. Since Iago is so evil, the readers may compare him to the devil. The devil is seen all thoughout the bible tempting people. Some of there people are Adam and Eve. In the begining of time, Chritians believed that Gaod created two people, Adam and Eve. And they lived in Paradise. THey could do anything they wanted except eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. But Eve was tempted by the devil who was in the a snake. And since she has disobeyed God, her creater, her and Adam had tdo leave Paradise forever. Also the Devil tempted Jesus Christ. The devil tempted Jesus while he was in the desert. One of the tempations was to turn stones tp bread, took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and hulr himself down, and offered Jesus all the land in the world. But Jesus resisted. Another way the Devil and Iago are alike is that Iago was not hurt when he was stabeed by Othello. He grinned at Othello and said "I bleed, sir, but not kill'd."
Not only is this character able to be compared to the devil, but also Judas. Judas was aan apostle of Jesus Christ. However, he betryed him. He sold information of where the Romans were able to capture Christ for a bag of silver. Judas betrying Chirst was just like Iago betrying Othello. People should not betry thier leader. That is a very mean thing to do. And than after Judas hears that his leader, Christ was getting sentenced to death. Judas Killed himself also for the act that he has done. THis like Iago getting stabbed and never speaking again. This is how they are also both alike. They both killed themslves.
The Seven Deadly Sins in Othello
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Examples in the play:
Iago is said to be envious of Cassio's role as Othello's right-hand man, which could essentially be the motive behind all of his evils. Othello becomes envious of Cassio because Othello believes that Cassio has stolen Desdemona. Emilia is envious of Desdemona because Desdemona has a husband who loves her dearly, while Emilia's husband could care less. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Examples in the play:
Othello and Desdemona obviously are not only in love, but in lust as well. Othello knows how beautiful she is, and values her looks as much as her personality. Emilia longs for Iago's love and attention, even though it is a lost cause. Although secretly, Cassio lusts for Bianca simply because she's there, and of course, Biana longs for Cassio as well. Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
Examples in the play:
Desdemona treats Emilia like her slave, even thought Emilia is supposed to be her "best friend." Roderigo consistently comes back to Iago for help involving Desdemona, taking the "easy way" to get to her instead of actually talking to her. Wrath is manifested in the individual who despises loves and opts instead for fury.
Examples in the play:
Othello turns his love for Desdemona into rage and anger because he believes she is cheating on him. Othello also becomes furious with not only Cassio for "stealing" Desdemona, but when he learns the truth, he turns all of his hatred to Iago because he realizes what he has done. Iago feels rage towards Emilia also at the end because she pieced his puzzle together and exposed his evils. Greed (also known as avarice) is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual.
Examples in the play:
Iago is greedy for power, which could also be another one of his motives. Othello is greedy for Desdemona's love since he desires to kill her after he thinks she is having an affair because he doesn't want any other man to have her. Iago is also greedy for money, more specifically he keeps tricking Roderigo into paying him for nothing at all. Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than one requires.
Examples in the play:
Cassio is referred to as the alcoholic in the play, and consumes way more alcohol than necessary. It was alcohol that planted the very evil seed that brought the downfall of the characters. Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God.
Examples in the play:
Othello takes a lot of pride in his wife Desdemona, because she is the most beautiful woman in Venice, and he brags about her. Cassio also takes a lot of pride in himself since he thinks he is too good to be seen talking to Bianca, yet uses her when nobody is around.
Is Shakespeare Teaching a Religious Lesson Through Othello ?
Background: Shakespeare's View on Religion
It is still a highly debated subject as for whether or not Shakespeare was religious, and more so, if he was a Catholic or a Protestant. Much of this is due to the fact that his writing is based and related to some Protestant and some Catholic beliefs.
Shakespeare lived during a time period in which there was a lot of pressure on Catholics to convert to the Protestant Church of England. Recusancy laws made the Roman Catholic Church illegal.
Baptized on April 26, 1564, little is known about Shakespeare's religious views and how he felt about the tension between the sects of Christianity. Having a well hidden private life, Shakespeare's true religious position remains a mystery, past the fact that he was baptized as a child, placing him somewhere within the church. In many Shakespeare plays, and Othello more specifically, there are numerous allegories to biblical figures and quotes, meaning that at the very least Shakespeare had a good knowledge of the Christian faith. On page 73 of Othello, Roderigo states that "The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist", meaning that he'd paid Iago enough money to corrupt a nun. This could be an attack at members of the catholic faith, especially those viewed as higher officials, saying that they were corrupt. He easily could have stated this from either point of view, as a Catholic disgraced by others' decisions to change their ways, or as a Protestant, mocking the flimsy wills of the members of the Catholic church.
Recusancy: statutory offence of not complying with and conforming to the Established Church, State Religion, or Church of England.
Religious References in Othello
In Scene I, Act I, the phrase "I am not what I am" contrasts to when God says to Moses in Exodus 3:14, "I am what I am." In Othello, Iago says this line as a forshadow of displaying what he will do to Othello. This is very intersting being that Iago can be compared to the devil in the play, and it is debated whether Iago actually is the devil. The devil and God are opposites, much like Iago's line in comparison to God's.
Act 2 Scene 3 is the scene in which Iago tricks Cassio to get drunk while on duty and get into a fight with Roderigo. Othello comes storming in, obviously upset by the situation, and is mostly upset with Cassio who was his lieutenant. Iago pretends to defend Cassio by saying, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth than it should do offence to Michael Cassio.” This alludes to the Book of Proverbs from the Bible that states, “the mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.” This is ironic for Iago to say this because he is trying to put up a front about him being such a “righteous” man who “brings forth wisdom” when in reality he is the one with the “perverse tongue”.
In that same scene, Iago “persuades [himself] to speak the truth”. This could be in reference again to the Book of Proverbs which reads, “For my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words from my mouth are righteous; there is nothing crooked or twisted in them.” There is irony in this, as well, because throughout the entire play Iago does not utter one righteous word. In the speech that follows Iago’s defense of Cassio, he “twists” around the truth and ends up fooling everyone.
In Act 4 Scene 2, Othello is professing to Desdemona how upset he is about her infidelity. He says, “had it pleased heaven to try me with affliction; had they rain’d all kinds of sores and shames on my bare head…” These few lines bare many similarities to the Book of Job in the Bible. The first allusion to Job is in the word “affliction” which is used seven times in the Book of Job. Job was one of God’s most devote followers. In the Book of Job, God makes a bargain with the devil that Job would never renounce the name of God no matter what happened to him. In attempts to win the bet, the devil puts Job through all sorts of tragedies, such as killing his family, “smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown “, and essentially destroying his entire life. In the Bible, Job says, “terrors are turned upon me… the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.” Even after everything, Job still knelt down and prayed to God. The part of the story that is parallel to Othello is that Iago did awful things to Othello, just like Satan did to Job.
Act 2 Scene 3 contains the speech that Iago in attempts to convince himself that what he is doing is what is right. He exclaims, “How am I then a villain to counsel Cassio this parallel course, directly to his good? Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as I do now…” In reference to heaven and hell, Iago further shows the audience that even though Iago believes that his actions “suggest with heavenly shows”, this is merely a disguise for the “blackest sins” that he is committing.
Is Iago the Devil?
Iago is a very evil person, one of the most evil that shakesphere has written so far. Since Iago is so evil, the readers may compare him to the devil. The devil is seen all thoughout the bible tempting people. Some of there people are Adam and Eve. In the begining of time, Chritians believed that Gaod created two people, Adam and Eve. And they lived in Paradise. THey could do anything they wanted except eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. But Eve was tempted by the devil who was in the a snake. And since she has disobeyed God, her creater, her and Adam had tdo leave Paradise forever. Also the Devil tempted Jesus Christ. The devil tempted Jesus while he was in the desert. One of the tempations was to turn stones tp bread, took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and hulr himself down, and offered Jesus all the land in the world. But Jesus resisted. Another way the Devil and Iago are alike is that Iago was not hurt when he was stabeed by Othello. He grinned at Othello and said "I bleed, sir, but not kill'd."
Not only is this character able to be compared to the devil, but also Judas. Judas was aan apostle of Jesus Christ. However, he betryed him. He sold information of where the Romans were able to capture Christ for a bag of silver. Judas betrying Chirst was just like Iago betrying Othello. People should not betry thier leader. That is a very mean thing to do. And than after Judas hears that his leader, Christ was getting sentenced to death. Judas Killed himself also for the act that he has done. THis like Iago getting stabbed and never speaking again. This is how they are also both alike. They both killed themslves.
The Seven Deadly Sins in Othello
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Examples in the play:
Iago is said to be envious of Cassio's role as Othello's right-hand man, which could essentially be the motive behind all of his evils. Othello becomes envious of Cassio because Othello believes that Cassio has stolen Desdemona. Emilia is envious of Desdemona because Desdemona has a husband who loves her dearly, while Emilia's husband could care less.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Examples in the play:
Othello and Desdemona obviously are not only in love, but in lust as well. Othello knows how beautiful she is, and values her looks as much as her personality. Emilia longs for Iago's love and attention, even though it is a lost cause. Although secretly, Cassio lusts for Bianca simply because she's there, and of course, Biana longs for Cassio as well.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
Examples in the play:
Desdemona treats Emilia like her slave, even thought Emilia is supposed to be her "best friend." Roderigo consistently comes back to Iago for help involving Desdemona, taking the "easy way" to get to her instead of actually talking to her.
Wrath is manifested in the individual who despises loves and opts instead for fury.
Examples in the play:
Othello turns his love for Desdemona into rage and anger because he believes she is cheating on him. Othello also becomes furious with not only Cassio for "stealing" Desdemona, but when he learns the truth, he turns all of his hatred to Iago because he realizes what he has done. Iago feels rage towards Emilia also at the end because she pieced his puzzle together and exposed his evils.
Greed (also known as avarice) is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual.
Examples in the play:
Iago is greedy for power, which could also be another one of his motives. Othello is greedy for Desdemona's love since he desires to kill her after he thinks she is having an affair because he doesn't want any other man to have her. Iago is also greedy for money, more specifically he keeps tricking Roderigo into paying him for nothing at all.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than one requires.
Examples in the play:
Cassio is referred to as the alcoholic in the play, and consumes way more alcohol than necessary. It was alcohol that planted the very evil seed that brought the downfall of the characters.
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God.
Examples in the play:
Othello takes a lot of pride in his wife Desdemona, because she is the most beautiful woman in Venice, and he brags about her. Cassio also takes a lot of pride in himself since he thinks he is too good to be seen talking to Bianca, yet uses her when nobody is around.